Dialing device



May 18, 1948.

J. L. BURKE DIALING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1946 INVENTOR James L. Bamhfe BY 00% my 64 M ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I irst-me newer James L. Burke; Weehawken, N. J. Application October 19, 1946, Sara No. 704,415

2 Claims.

It is among the objects offlthis invention m provide a device that will faei-litate the dialing of numbers on a dial telephone, thati pie to use arid install, requiringno special I the installation thereof, that is relatively cheap and simple to manufacture, that is easy to clean and that affords a clear view of the numbers and letters on a telephone dia-l, yet still prevents the finger, pencil or other instrument used in the rotating process from touching and defacing the telephone dial.

According to the invention, these objects are accomplished by the arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter described and particularly recited in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a telephone dial with the dialing devices mounted therein,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the dialing device on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale along line 3-3 of Fig. l.

The particular embodiment of the dialing device herein chosen for the illustration of my invention comprises a substantially cylindrical cup H which is preferably of transparent material such as plastic, but which may be of any other suitable material. The cup H has a transparent bottom which preferably has a fiat undersurface I! and a convex inner surface I 3, the latter facilitating the cleaning of the inside of the cup by avoiding sharp corners therein.

The body of cup II has an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of the circular aperture [4 of the rotatable disc l5 of the conventional telephone dial and fits in said aperture so that the rim I6 about the mouth of the cup rests on the surface of the rotatable disc. Rim l6 has a milled edge I! on the top and inner side thereof for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The length of the cup is slightly less than the distance from the surface of the rotatable disc to the lettered dial 15 below, thereby ensuring that there will be sufficient clearance so that the bottom of the cup will not contact the surface of the lettered dial.

The cup is loosely held in place in disc is by beads H! which are about the body of the cup protruding outwardly at right angles to the axis thereof, and are below the rim IS a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the rotatable disc l5. The diameter of the cup around the beaded portions 18' is slightly greater than the diameter of theaperture l4. the embodiment shown there are two beads on, the body of the .cup diametrically opposed to each ()lfl'ier'.- However, a bead commetel encircling the cup or a greater number of beaded portions could be used. These beads act as a retainer to prevent withdrawal of the cup when the finger, pencil or other means used to rotate the dial is withdrawn from the cup, but allow the cup to turn in the aperture.

I To insert the cup, it is merely placed in the aperturein the dial and pressed therein until the beads have passed below the surface of the rotatable disc. The walls of the cup, which preferably are of plastic, are slightly flexible and hence, though the diameter of the cup at the beaded portion thereof is greater than the diameter of the aperture, the beaded portions will 20 pass through the aperture and the rim of the cup will seat itself at the surface of the rotatable disc l5. As the bottom of the cup is transparent, the numbers and letters on the dial can be clearly seen therethrough.

To use the device, the user inserts his finger in the cup and rotates the disc in the usual manner. The milled portion on the rim of the cup effects a friction grip on the tip of the finger and as the disc I5 is turned the cup will be fixed with respect to the finger and movable with respect to the rotatable disc. As the finger tip will touch the bottom of the cup rather than the dial, there will be no rubbing of the nail or finger tip against the surface of the lettered dial which normally results in abrasion to the dial and if frequent dialing is done, rubbing and chafing of the finger nail and tip.

By the use of this device, especially in busy oflices where a great deal of dialing is done and where pencils or other means are used to rotate the dial, injury to the surface of the lettered dial will be prevented and consequently there will be no need to replace the dials, thereby effecting a saving on the cost of such dials and also eliminating the time that the telephone is out of service While the dial is being replaced.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I v'" Hi i a 3 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A dialing device for dial telephones of the type having a rotatable disc with circular apertures therein and a corresponding lettered dial therebelow, said device comprising a substantially cylindrical cup having a transparent bottom, said cup having an outer diameter slightly less than the diameter of each of said apertures, a rim about the mouth of said cup, said rim having a milled edge on the inner side thereof, and means to hold said cup in such circular aperture, said tmeans comprising beaded portions about the body, of said cup spaced from said rim by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of such disl and protruding outwardly at right angles to the axis thereof, the diameter of the cup at its said 71 beaded portion being slightly greater than the diameter of said aperture.

2. A dialing device for dial telephones of the type having a rotatable disc with circular apertures therein and a corresponding lettered dial therebelow, said device comprising a substantially cylindrical cup having a transparent bottom, said cup having an outer diameter slightly less than dial therebelow.

;- slightly less than the distance from the surface of said rotatable telephone disc to the lettered I JAMES L. BURKE.

" REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,427,017 Popper Aug. 22, 1922 1,723,297 Norton Aug. 6, 1929 

